It is the naturalization application, with which a permanent resident applies for citizenship. It is signed and mailed to USCIS with the fee, or filed online. Then come biometrics, the interview, and the oath.

How much does it cost to prepare the N-400 with Paso Libre?

Filling it out is free. You pay $199 only when you finish your answers and decide to generate your PDF. Full refund within 14 days, and always if the PDF is not technically correct. USCIS fees are paid separately, directly to the government; confirm them in the official calculator.

How long does USCIS take with the N-400?

It depends on the office and the moment. We publish an orientation measure calculated from the times USCIS publishes; it is not an official figure nor a promise about your case.

Does Paso Libre decide whether the N-400 applies to me?

No. We describe the form and fill in your answers. If your question needs a legal opinion, we point you to the official directories of licensed attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives.

Do I have to speak English for citizenship?

The instructions describe an English and civics test at the interview, and exceptions based on age and length of residence or on a medical condition. Whether an exception applies to you is a legal question.

Does an old arrest matter for the N-400?

The form asks about arrests and charges, and it is answered truthfully. What weight it carries in your case is a legal question: talk to a licensed attorney before signing.

What do I get at the end?

A PDF of the N-400 filled with your answers, unsigned. You review it page by page, print it, sign it by hand, and mail it to USCIS.

Who can help me with Form N-400?

You can fill it out yourself: Paso Libre guides you in Spanish, question by question, and generates the unsigned N-400 PDF, which you review, sign, and mail. Form preparation, not legal advice. Evaluating your case is the job of a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative; USCIS publishes both directories for free. USCIS fees are paid separately, directly to USCIS.

What are the most common problems when filling out Form N-400?

The most common are formatting problems: an outdated edition of the form, required boxes left blank, names or dates written differently than on your documents, a missing signature, and the wrong USCIS fee or mailing address. The list above has the details. Paso Libre's automated checks stop the PDF before it is generated when a required box is empty or a format does not match; you still review every page.

← All forms

USCIS formN-400

Application for naturalization

Form N-400 is the application for naturalization: the form a permanent resident uses to ask USCIS to become a United States citizen. It is long and personal: it asks about your trips, your addresses, your jobs, your family, and your history. It is signed by hand and mailed with the fee, or filed online.

Paso Libre editorial team

Reviewed September 3, 2026 · Educational information, not legal advice

Filling is free. You pay $199 only when you finish your answers. USCIS fees are paid separately.

Start with Application for naturalization

Current edition

May 12, 2026

Verify official edition

The edition date USCIS publishes for this form.

USCIS fee

Verify current fee

This fee you pay directly to USCIS.

Reviewed

We check regularly

We check daily whether USCIS changed anything.

What is the N-400 for?

The official instructions describe the topics USCIS reviews: time as a resident, physical presence in the country, residence in the state, English and civics, and good moral character.

Each topic has exceptions and details written in the instructions. Whether they apply to you is a legal question, and Paso Libre does not answer it: we do not decide your case.

After it is mailed, USCIS sends a receipt notice, usually a biometrics appointment, then an interview with an English and civics test, and finally an oath ceremony.

Who usually files it?

According to the USCIS instructions: a permanent resident who has held the card for at least five years and meets the other requirements the instructions describe.
According to the USCIS instructions: a resident married to a citizen, with different time rules, written in the instructions.
According to the USCIS instructions: members and veterans of the armed forces, with their own rules and no fee in certain cases.

These are the situations the official instructions describe. Paso Libre does not decide whether any of them is yours.

Changes

What has changed

No recent changes published for this form.

In plain words

What this means for you

We show only what USCIS already published. We do not guess what will happen.

Paso Libre does not evaluate your case to decide whether you need an attorney.

USCIS fees you pay directly to the government. We never collect them through Paso Libre.

Ready?